A Place Higher Than The Sky
by munchkin-hime
Summary: The last thing she saw before her tired eyes drifted entirely into sleep was the face of Edward Cullen, his eyes a wonderful golden honey color. Her vision blurred as her lids shut tight. EdwardxOC JacobxOC
1. Infatuation

A/N: After seeing Twilight for a second time, I got this idea. I love Edward, and my friend Loreena loves Jacob. (I love BellaxEdward, though). So...Bam. Why not? So here's the chapter of my new story (I know, I have like, 3 active stories now..) **A Place Higher Than The Sky**. So, in advance I'd just like to add that there are some things I took from the book just to get started. Not directly, not quote on quote et cetera, et cetera but like the Biology class and in the office. Also, I'm aware I kinda forgot to add descriptions of the characters. I know, I know... I'll post descriptions at the end of the next update, instead of writing them in. So...I hope you like. Insert shy blush, here.

* * *

A cheap, beaten up 1968 green Ford Mustang sped down the road towards the Three Forks High School.

"Thanks for driving me, guys," the youngest in the car, Megan, said.

"No problem. I always hated the bus," the girl in the drivers seat, Jade, told her, gripping the steering wheel and turning into the high school.

"Me too," the girl beside her, Reena, in the passenger seat said.

Jade pulled into a parking space, and the three of them got out of the car. It was the first day of the school year, and there was already drops of water falling from the sky.

"I'm worried. What if the Juniors threaten to beat me up?" Megan asked nervously, as they climbed the steps to the entrance.

"...Megan, _we're_ Juniors. We're not going to beat you up..." Reena reminded her, giving her a strange look as she took a breath to recompose herself.

"I guess you're right."

"Plus you worried about the same thing last year," Jade told her, opening the door for her two best friends. "And now you _are_ a Sophmore. Hope you don't beat the Freshman up."

"Ha ha," sarcasm was dripping from Megan's voice.

Loreena chorused in a laugh, Jade joining her as she began to step inside. That was until she saw the silver Volvo speeding it's way to the curb.

"Who's that?" Megan asked, as her and Reena slowly made their way back to Jade who stood by the door instead of following them inside.

"Um..." Loreena paused, before mustering up a, "...I don't know."

"Alright," Megan breathed, before grabbing Jade's sleeve and tugging on it, "Come on then, Jade. Why are you just standing there? Who is that?"

"I...don't know either," came her quiet reply, as the door flung open. A Jeep came and parked behind the Volvo, a pretty big guy standing up through it, and three others sitting.

"You don't know who that is?" a girl asked, who had been standing within earshot. "That's the Cullens. They moved half way through Freshman year, then moved back last year half way through Sophmore year. I guess they're here to stay, now. I heard they move a lot."

"Oh," Megan blinked, releasing Jade's arm. Her, Jade and Reena all looked at the girl, curiosity in their eyes.

"Oh, sorry. My name's Kelly. Long time resident of Forks," she flashed a bright smile through the dim surroundings.

"Megan."

"Reena."

"...um," Jade watched as legs emerged from the Volvo. A mess of hair started to duck out of the car----

"Hello?" Kelly moved in front of her, waving her hand in front of her face.

"Oh, uh," Jade blinked, before putting on a soft smile. "Jade. My name's Jade."

Kelly only stared at her, before she, Megan and Reena all turned to see what she had been looking at.

"Oh. The Cullens," she laughed. "Yeah, they're all incredibly beautiful." She motioned over to the Jeep. "That big guy; that's Emmett. And the blonde, Rosalie, whom I like to refer to as a _goddess_, I mean look at her, she's gorgeous... She's with him. And I mean, _with_ him, with him."

"They're all adopted, Kelly," another girl said, stepping beside Kelly with a smirk.

"I _know_ that, Sharon! But still, it's weird!" Kelly reasoned. It looked like they were friends. Sharon offered waves to Reena, Jade and Megan before Kelly motioned back towards the jeep. "The guy in the drivers seat is Jasper, and beside him is Alice. Also an item. Their adoptive dad, doctor Carlisle, is a little bit of a matchmaker if I do say so myself."

"Just remember," Sharon interjected. "Jasper's the one who looks afraid." Everyone watched as Alice and him got out, Alice instantly skipping over to grip his arm.

Jade's eyes moved back to the Volvo, only to find the door shut and no one by it.

"And there's Edward," Kelly said in a lower voice than previous.

Jade shifted her eyes back towards the Jeep, where, Edward, apparently, was making his way over to the others.

"And yeah, he is gorgeous," Sharon said with a quick lick of her lips, before noticing the shine in Jade's eyes. "But...he doesn't really date anyone. I guess none of us are good enough for him."

"Oh. I wasn't really..." Jade fumbled, before shifting her eyes back to Edward only to find him glaring back at her. She took a step back, looking over to Sharon and Kelly again. "Okay."

"Thanks for the intro," Reena laughed a little. "We'll see you guys later, alright? At lunch?"

"Sure," Kelly nodded with a sweet smile, as Sharon nodded too and then turned back to gaze at the Cullens.

*

"When are you going to stop staring at the Cullens?" Kelly asked at lunch, stabbing her salad with a plastic fork.

"I..." Jade turned around in her seat, find Kelly, Sharon, Megan and Reena all had their eyes on her. "I wasn't.."

Reena and Megan giggled to themselves, as Sharon and Kelly exchanged smirks.

"I think my favourite is...Jasper!" a new, male voice cooed as Jade saw a guy sit down next to him. "Hey, I'm Luke." He shook hands with her, then Reena and Megan.  
"Shut up, Luke. Jasper's cute," Kelly wagged her fork at him, as he raised his hands in defense.

"I dunno!" another male voice came, as a darker guy sat down by Reena. "I think Emmett's totally hot!"

"Oh, shoo Preston!" Sharon said, flinging a pepperoni at him from her pizza.

"Oh, you guys are forgetting about Edmond!" another male voice laughed, sitting down beside Megan.

"_Edward_, Ben," Kelly and Sharon shrieked, shocked he could forget his name.

The guys all laughed, Kelly and Sharon throwing insults at them and Megan and Reena stuck in the middle, only left to giggle. Jade turned back around, only to see the table the Cullens were at was empty. She turned back, picking up her tray and heading towards the cafiteria exit.

*

Jade entered Biology with a startle when she saw Edward Cullen sitting by himself, gazing out the misted window, cause from the rain.

"Please take a seat," the teacher, Mr Smith, ushered, pulling her away from the doorway so other students could get into the room. She took a few slow steps towards Edward, whom, apparently was her lab partner. As soon as he looked up though, his narrowed eyes meeting hers she stopped in her tracks.

"Seats, please. Hurry," Mr Smith urged, giving her a soft push towards her seat.

She took a breath, her face heating up drastically as Edward's intimidating black eyes bored into her. She slowly took her seat, trying to sit as far away from him as possible.

Out of the corner of her eye she glanced at him; but when all he did was narrow his eyes even more, she quickly turned front. She heard metal scraping against the linolium floor, and turned to see him scooting his stool away from hers, the intimidation still on his face as he looked at her. He rested his elbow on the windowsill, then rested his chin in his palm, looking out the window again. She cleared her throat, as she tried to keep her mind occupied. But the rules of the Biology classroom weren't that exciting.

Minutes ticked by on the clock, and Jade could still feel the uncomfortable and uninviting aura around her and her _partner_.

After roughly ten more minutes, she heard frustrated grunts as she turned to Edward who...had his hands clamped over his nose and mouth, tightly. She was about to say something to him, when he quickly lunged for the window, opening it in a fit and sticking his face by it. She furrowed her eyebrows, pulling the sleeves of her shirt further down her shivering arms as she put her nose to her armpit. Yeah, she did put deodorant on that morning. She turned back towards Edward, who was still breathing out the window. She picked up a lock of her hair. Yeah, shampooed that morning, too.

She sighed, turning front to pick up on what Mr Smith was saying. It was then that she raised her hand to ask a question, the hem of her shirt moving up and the fabric shifting. With a screech from the stool to the floor, Edward pushed his seat out, violently grabbing his things and storming out of the classroom. It was seconds later that the bell rang. Jade sighed, slowly lowerinf her arm.

"Question, Jade?" Mr Smith asked, as she tried to smile as she stood up.

"No. I'm alright..."

*

"...I don't know what his problem was. It was horrible. But apparently we have those seats for the semester," Jade rambled on to Reena and Megan as they made their way towards the doors. Jade couldn't wait to get home, she did _not_ want to be here anymore.

"Just a second, I have to get something from the office," Megan said, stopping abruptly by the office and pulling the door open. Her, Reena and Jade all stepped in only to see Edward with his hands curled into tight fists as the secretary spoke to him, "I'm sorry, but we have no other classes open. You're going to have to stay in Biology."

"I _can't_ stay in that class."

Jade's eyebrows furrowed as she listened to his few words. Reena turned to her with a look of slight concern on her face as Megan stood behind a lanky kid with glasses and frizzy hair.

"You're going to have to. I apologize."

"I CAN'T," his voice raised, as he clenched one fist even tighter. "It's..._obnoxious_."

Jade gripped her bag tight, before throwing the door open, and like he had done previously, stormed out. The door shut with a slam. Reena stood wide eyed before opening the door up, everyone else in the room guiding their attention towards her.

"Hey!" Reena called.

"I'll meet you at the car," came Jade's faint reply, in the form of a grumble.

"...OK.." Reena quietly shut the door, as Edward turned back to the secretary.

"Can you please check again?"

"I'm sorry. I've checked five times."

He released what sounded like a growl to Reena, and turned around, flinging the door open with no effort whatsoever and also storming out.

Megan and Reena exchanged puzzled glances.

*

"How was the first day?" Jade's father asked that night at dinner.

She remained silent for a moment as she took a small piece of steak and dropped it on her plate, letting it collide with the potatoes and corn, "Good. I guess."

"Any boys?" her mother asked playfully, as her dad sent her a grave look.

"No. There's not," she grumbled.

"Really?" her mother sounded surprised.

"You're acting obnoxious," her brother, Manuel, teased---also pleased with the vocabulary in his sentence.

Jade suddenly pushed her chair out, getting up and for the second time that day, storming off. "..I have homework to do." With that, she was gone.

Her parents looked to Manuel, who shrugged, "I was just kidding. She's too sens-i-tive~." He said, extending the 'iv' sound.

Jade sat in her room, staring out the window and watching the rain fall, soft music in the background. She pulled the curtains over in one swift moment, flopping down on her bed and curling up.

She almost couldn't believe she had found herself infatuated with Edward Cullen at first. He was such a jerk. Her plan;

Confrontation.


	2. Confrontation

A/N: So I'm not entirely pleased with this chapter. But I _am_ happy with it. Also, you may of noticed I've changed that sucky summary to an insert from the chapter. I just couldn't get into the summary. Haha. So, anyway...enjoy, I guess. Jacob's first appearance in APHTTS! Review, please! Constructive criticism welcome!

* * *

"Stupid car. Start!"

This was all interfering with her confront-Edward-Cullen-because-he-was-a-total-jerk-through-his-actions-the-other-day-for-no-good-reason plan.

She whapped a palm against the steering wheel, getting a good honk out of it. Megan covered her ears, "Calm down, child!"

"I'm older than you!" she retorted, turning the key in the ignition again. The Mustang sputtered and rumbled before dying down again.

"Try talking to it..." Reena suggested calmly, running a hand across the dashboard. "Good car. C'mon...start."

Jade blinked, before sighed and turning her keys again. The car started for a few seconds before dying down again. She turned the key again...and again....and again...

"I think you're gonna break it," Megan said quietly, before opening her book bag. "I'm hungry..."

"Did you eat breakfast?" Jade asked, turning around in her seat to look back at her younger friend.

"Well..." Megan held a cookie loosely between her gloved fingers. "...No."

"Cookie's not a breakfast," Jade argued.

"Sure it is!" she shot back, taking a bite.

"Guys!" Reena reached forward to honk the horn, Jade and Megan recomposing themselves and sitting straight and forward. "We have to get to school!" Reena reminded them.

Jade sighed, "We're not going anywhere until this car starts."

Reena bit her lip, "Well..yeah...but...Keep trying."

With a doubtful release of breath, Jade jammed the keys into the ignition for what felt like the hundredth time. "I don't care, actually. I'm not in a biology mood today."

Reena looked apologetic. It was obvious Jade was infatuated, charmed, by Edward Cullen when she had first seen him... But what a jerk he was to act the way he did towards her. Pushing his stool away was enough? What was his problem anyway?

"Hey, who's that?" Megan's muffled voice asked, as she chewed on some of the cookie.

"Who?" Jade asked, taking the keys out of the ignition and looking out the windshield. "Oh, that's Jacob Black... My dad knows his. I don't really know him, though."

"What's he doing here?"

"I don't know...Probably dropping something off, good thing dad never left. Hey, maybe he can give us a dr-..."

Was infatuation contagious?

Reena stared out the windshield, watching as the truck in front of her eyes came to a halt. Through the window she could see a Native American boy, around her and Jade's age. But she'd never seen him around school, before.

"Does he go to Three Forks...?" Reena asked slowly and quietly, having not heard Jade and Megan's previous words.

"No. He, uh, goes to school on the Reservation he lives on," Jade replied, following Reena's gaze and watching as Jacob got out of his truck. The three girls watched him like a cat watched a bird as he came around the side of the Mustang to Jade's window, "Your dad still home?"

"He should be leaving any minute now, but yeah," she nodded towards the bag in his hand. "What's that?"

"Uh, meat or something. Dad wanted me to drop it off...Say, shouldn't you be in school?"

"Yes," Jade pressed, gripping the steering wheel so hard her knuckles turned white with pressure. "My car won't start. Hey, you're into cars aren't you?"

He nodded briskly, "Yeah. Can I slide in?"

Reena watched with almost dialated eyes as Jade climbed out of the vehicle and Jacob slid in. Jade handed him the keys and he took them in his big, rough hands. Actually, he was a pretty big guy. But very handsome. Well built, you could say. He turned around in the seat to look at Megan, "Jacob." He stuck his hand out with a smile, as Megan shook it. Then he turned to Reena, flashing his whites and also holding his hand out to her, "Jacob. Nice to meet you."

"Um..." she shyly took his hand, loosely shaking it before taking her hand back, her skin tingling, "I'm Reena."

"Do you come here a lot, Jacob?" Megan asked from the back, as he inserted the key into the ignition and turned it.

"Uh, kinda," he chuckled a little. "I mostly come with my dad, Billy. Him and Jade's dad are good friends."

"Well me and Reena are around here a lot and we've never seen you before," she laughed, as Jacob grinned to himself, turning the key again.

"Well...we come and we go. Never really catch us at the same time..." he laughed, too. Then turned to Reena, "You sure she has the right key? I don't know her that well, but I've learned she's a bit of an airhead."

"You forgot uncoordinated," Megan chimed from the back, as Reena laughed a little, Jacob son chorusing with her. Jade crossed her arms, rolling her eyes slightly, "It's the right key, Jacob. I'm positive."

"You're positive on a lot of things," Megan pointed out, as her and Jade began to bicker through the window.

"Well she's been jamming that thing into the ignite for a good twenty minutes," Reena cracked a smile. "Think she broke something?"

"No...It's probably just the starter motor," Jacob informed, pulling the keys out and getting out. "See if you can get it to me after school. I'll fix it for you."

"Are you sure?" Jade asked, as he handed her the keys back.

"Yeah. But in the meanwhile, it looks like you three need a ride to school," he nodded towards his truck with a smile. "Hop in. I'm just gonna drop this off and I'll drive you guys." He held up the bag and started towards the house.

"You sure?" Jade asked again.  
"Wanna get to school or not?" he asked, his back turned.

"No..." Jade muttered, as she shut her door and Reena and Megan got out. Jade and Megan climbed into the back of the truck, as Reena got into the front. She could feel heat in her cheeks, "He's nice."

"Yeah," Jade nodded buckling her seatbelt.

"Hey, if your car won't start..." Megan trailed off, before blinking her blue eyes. "...then how are you going to get it to his house?"

"We'll figure that out after I speak to Edward Cullen."

"What a jerk," Megan mumbled, remembering Jade's story from yesterday in Biology. At that moment Jacob had been coming back to the truck, his eyes a little more fierce as he got into the vehicle and slammed the door shut.

*

"Thanks Jacob," Jade and Megan chimed, once they reached the school, hopping out of the truck and instantly starting towards the doors. Reena slowly unbuckled her seatbelt, then looked to Jacob, gripping her bag, "Thanks for the drive, Jacob."

"Yeah, no problem," he smiled, before nodding towards the school. "You don't wanna be late."

She laughed a little, "Yeah.. I don't know why Jade was in such a worry." She was a little uncomfortable with the fact that Jade had left her to sit there with a guy she hardly knew. " She was pretty upset. There's this guy named Edward Cullen and he---"

"Everyone's going in. You should get going," Jacob interjected, as her eyes lingered to his single hand gripping the steering wheel.

"Uh, alright," she opened the door, stepping out, "Thanks again. For the drive, I mean." She told him one last time before shutting the door. He nodded through the window before driving off, water under the tires splashing. A few droplets of water got onto Reena, but she only sighed as she watched Jacob Black drive off. She inhaled once before the ringing bell she heard signaled her to get inside.

*

Jade entered the Biology room that afternoon to see Edward Cullen sitting as far away from her seat as he could. She exhaled, marching over, placing her books on the table and sitting down. Her eyes flickered over to Edward, his eyes a harsh coal black as he glared at her. She almost gasped; she had never noticed his eyes yesterday.

Jade cleared her throat, setting her eyes front again and on the whiteboard at the head of the room. Her plan had been confrontation. But she didn't know what to do, or how to do it. She slowly turned her head to look at him again, but he was looking at the window now.

She looked back to the whiteboard, tucking some hair behind her ear in the process. She thought she saw Edward flinch from the corner of her eye, but she was probably wrong. Her eyes landed on Mr Smith, who was working on something at his desk. When was he actually going to begin the class?

She wasn't going through with her plan after all. She wasn't going to confront Edward Cullen on his behaviour. She couldn't.

She didn't know why, though.

Absentmindedly she gathered her hair behind her, holding it in place as if she were going to put it up, but then let it fall.

There was a grunt of evident anger as she shifted to look at Edward, "..."

He turned to look at her, his eyes still the colour of burning embers, but harsher than before. They only gazed at each other for a moment, before Jade turned away.

It was back again, and on some level she wasn't that surprised, but she also wondered why, anyway.

Infatuation.

She put a hand to the side of her neck, rubbing it slightly before hearing Edward push his stool out.

"Edward Cullen?" Mr Smith looked up from his desk, seeing Edward standing. "Is there a problem?"

Edward's eyes lingered on him for a moment, before he glanced down at Jade, whom removed her hand from her neck. He clenched and unclenched one fist, before blinking hard.

"Edward Cullen," Mr Smith repeated. "Your seat, please. We'll begin shortly."

His eyes remained closed as he sat down, slowly unclenching his fist. Jade stared at him for a moment, until one of his eyes cracked open. It was then that she looked away again, just as Mr Smith stood up.

Only the first few words of Mr Smith's registered in her mind before she heard Edward muttering slurred words to himself. All she was able to catch was, "....unbearable..."

She inhaled deeply. Maybe she should never talk to Edward Cullen. Ever.

She mentally crossed out confrontation from her mind, closing her eyes and trying to tune back into Mr Smith's words.

*

It never crossed Jade's mind on how she would get home. That, and she was responsible for getting Reena and Megan home, too.

She sighed, holding her bag loosely between her fingers as she stood in front of the empty parking space---she always parked there. It put a small smile on her lips to come out of those doors and see that green blur that was her car parked in this particular spot. She had scavaged up enough money to buy that car herself. And well, she'd admit, she loved her car.

A shiver suddenly ran down her spine as she turned around, meeting Edward's gaze from across the parking lot. She gasped lightly, dropping her bag by accident. She was about to pick it up when she noticed it. She noticed...

His eyes.

They were no longer harsh and narrow. Yet, they still remained their coal black color from earlier. His arm was draped across the roof of his Volvo as he held her eyes. She wanted to look away, but somehow, she couldn't find the strength to.

"JADE!" a peppy voice filled her ears as she blinked, and shifted her eyes from Edward to Megan whom was trotting across the parking lot over to her. There was happiness clear on her face as she opened her mouth, "It was amazing. There's this guy. He's really cute, and he's really nice. And I was talking to him. And, well, really he's just---"

She found her eyes gliding back over to Edward. She bit her lip, watching as Alice and Jasper made their way over to him. They spoke some words to him, but he continued to hold her gaze. Jade saw Alice tilt her head at him, curiosity on her face. She saw Edward's lips move---barely, but they did. Alice said something to Jasper and she and him both directed their eyes her way. There was a knowing smirk upon Alice's lips as she began to say something, still looking her way. Jasper's eyes looked a little glazed, but what Jade noticed was that they weren't as dark as Edward's.

"---and his name is Sam. He said he'd see me tomorrow," Megan smiled, finishing her rant and looking to Jade for input. Her happy smile slowly disolved, her eyebrows knitting together, "Did you hear me?" She followed Jade's gaze to see the three Cullens by the silver Volvo, "Oh.." She turned back to Jade, "Hey, did you ever talk to Edward?"

Jade turned to, "Well...no. But..." She found her eyes going back to Edward, but with one more glance he turned and opened the door of his Volvo, climbing in.

"...So do you like, um, Sam?" Jade asked, turning back to Megan, seeing the Volvo drive off from the corner of her eye.

"I think so," Megan replied shyly, "But I don't know. We'll see, but for n---Hey!" Her eyes widened, "Where's your car!?"

A grin appeared on Jade's face, then, "Yeah, about that..."

"Can we get something to eat on the way home? I'm starving," Reena's voice sounded.

Jade and Megan turned to her as she approached them.

"Well we could if someone hadn't stolen Jade's car!" Megan shouted, flailing her arms a little.

Reena blinked a few times, before slowly parting her lips, "Megan...Remember...Jacob drove us to school. Jade's car wouldn't start this morning." There was a faint blush on her cheeks at the mention of Jacob. She had been thinking of him all day. Yes. She was..._infatuated_. Whatever Jade was influenced by usually became contagious. Reena silently giggled.

Something went off in Megan's head, "...Oh...yeah... I knew that!"

"You did not!" Reena laughed, as the two enveloped themselves into a playgul argument.

A soft smile appeared on Jade's lips as she dug her cell-phone out of her bag, flipping it open and dialling home. Maybe Manuel could come get them.

She listened to the line ring, watched as the Jeep that contained the other four Cullens pulled out of its parking space and drove off. She followed it until it was onto the road, and she could've sworn she saw Alice grin at her. Out of them all Alice seemed the most inviting.

*

"Try not to forget your car next time, Munchkin," Manuel told Jade while speeding down the road.

"I didn't forget it," she rolled her eyes, her arms crossed as she leaned back against the seat of his 1969 Pontiac Firebird. He had also bought his car, himself. "It wouldn't start."

"Jacob's going to fix it," Reena piped up, her cheeks flushing a little again.

Megan must've noticed this since she turned to fully look at her friend with a curious expression.

"Well still. Think of a way to get home next time you take a drive," he said. "I know you hate the bus."

"Gives me a headache," Jade murmured, looking out the window and watching the rain drops splash onto the glass separating her from the outside.

"It's really warm on the bus, too," Megan complained.

"Too many people. Too much body heat," Reena informed.

"Not to mention crowded," Megan added on the matter of school buses.

"Anyway," Jade breathed, "Thanks for getting us."

"Whatever," her older brother shrugged. "Mom and dad got mad at me last night, so I'm almost scared to ask. How was your day?"

Jade remained silent for a moment.

Manuel rolled his eyes, this time. His eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, "What about you two?"

"There's this awesome guy! And he's---Wait!" Megan paused. "Nevermind. Forget I said anything."

Another roll of the eyes, "And you?"

Reena made a bit of a face before replying, "It was good. Jacob's really nice."

Oops. Did she mean to let that slip?

Both siblings, Jade and Manuel, raised one of their eyebrows skeptically, "Oh really, now?"

She could feel her face heating up as Megan's brow went up, too, "Well...yeah."

Megan coughed, before looking ahead again, "Well he is."

"Hey, you stay on your own man," Manuel tsked.

"What!?" Megan kicked the back of his seat, "Take that back, pignose!"

"Hey! Watch the seat!" he growled. "This interior's a pain to clean."

Reena just sat back and blushed as Jade threw her hands up in the air, "Can you just get me home!? I was supposed to have my car to Jacob's half an hour ago!"

"Tell Megan to stop being a pain," Manuel said, stepping on the gas a little.

"Tell you brother to slow down before he gets us all in an accident!" Megan retorted.

Reena blocked this all out, her mind drifting off to Jacob. At the same time Jade looked back out her window, thoughts of the Cullens flooding her mind.

*

"My head..." Jade's words slurred together slightly as she got out of the car. Her bag was being held tremendously loose between her trembling fingers.

"Get inside and lay down, sis," Manuel said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. Which, in a small way it was. He shut his door as Megan and Reena climbed out.

"But my car..." she glanced over to the green Mustang.

"The car can wait. You actually look really pale," Manuel observed, dismissing the thought of her faking an illness even if school was over for the day. Megan and Reena also looked at her, concern on their faces.

"He's right," Megan agreed. "Get inside. You can bring your car tomorow."

"No!" she almost shouted. She closed her eyes for a second, then opened them, "He needs it today. It's not like he has other things to do. And the sooner I get it the better."

"Well, yeah but..."

Manuel exhaled, "You guys figure this out. I'm going in." Not that he was obligated to wait out in the drizzle with the three of them.

Reena took the bag from her frail friend's shaking fingers, "If you want I can take it to him."

There was a knowing smile upon Megan's face as she started towards the door with them.

"Really?" Jade asked her baby voice, her now dullish chocolate brown eyes trying to shine. "You'll do that?"

"Best friends. Come on," she grinned, "Just get me the keys and I'll take it. Megan can wait here with you."  
Megan nodded as they entered the house, Reena setting Jade's bag down and leading her to the sofa.

"The keys are on the kitchen table," Jade murmured as Megan sat down next to her and switched the television on. Jade also proceeded to tell Reena how to get to Jacob's, as she nodded. _Sesame Street_ was what appeared on the screen.

"Hey, it's the Count!" Megan exclaimed as Jade stifled a small laugh._The Count_ was counting the bats which were flying around him.

With a small roll of her eyes Reena took the keys and opened the door, "I'll be back later." With that the door shut.

"Won't you need..." Jade paused. "...a drive home?"

*

The window wipers flicked rain from the windshield as Reena turned onto a dirt road. She finally reached her destination as she pulled into Jacob's house.

The garage door was open and inside she saw long, black hair falling over strong shoulders. She got out of the car, shutting the door behind her and plodding over to the garage through the puddles of water, "Hey Jacob."

"Hey," he grinned, also releasing a chuckle. "Jade too tired to bring it out herself?"

Reena giggled a little, "Not quite. She wasn't feeling well---so I offered the take it in for her."

"Nice of ya," he acknowledged, before nodding towards the car. "Lucky you got it to start and run long enough to get out here."

She laughed, "Yeah."

This feeling of comfort. It was tremendous. Jacob was very soothing.

"Let's take a look. Then I'll give you a drive back," Jacob said with a wide grin as Reena turned swiftly to see the Black's truck and Jade's car alone in the driveway. She felt a little embarassed, "Oops..." It was after school all over again.

He put a hand on her shoulder, grinning, "Ha, it's alright. C'mon."

She smiled, all traces of embarassment leaving her face.


	3. Conversations

A/N: I'm not sure if I'm completely satisfied with this chapter... But I'll put it up anyway. Took a bit longer on this one... My computer broke down again...so, no MSP or OLS for a while. :[

Also, I don't know if anyone noticed my little joke in chapter two. With the Count from Sesame Street... Like, he's a vampire and...well...yeah... Enjoy. Review!

* * *

Jacob's grip on the steering wheel was firm as he drove down the road, rain pounding on the windsheild.

"I can take you straight home, Reena."

She looked from the window to him. That was the first time he had used her name, she felt her stomach go all warm and fuzzy. She made a face at the reaction, "Are you sure?"

He chuckled, "Of course. Just gotta tell me where to go."

She nodded, "Alright." She turned her head to the window again, watching as blurs of pinetrees passed by her eyes.

"You wonder when the sun is gonna shine, don't you?" Jacob laughed.

"Mm," she nodded. "That's Forks for you."

"I guess so," he grinned.

They drove in silence for a while, the radio turned down to a low murmur. Reena couldn't make out what was playing anyway, but she didn't really care.

"What kind of music do you like?" Jacob asked, breaking the small silence.

"Um," she turned back to him. "Metallica... Billy Talent, Tokio Hotel, Bon Jovi..." She trailed off, turning to look back out the window again.

Jacob nodded, continuing to drive. Silence took over again, Reena still watching the patches of the green trees fly by. She was racking her brain for things to say to him. How was one to start a good conversation with a person they, maybe, kinda, on some level, liked? She made a face. She was comfortable around Jacob. Why wouldn't she just blurt out the first thing that came to mind, for heaven's sake?

"I-..."

"You mentioned Edward Cullen, this morning," Jacob said suddenly, a new seriousness in his voice. Reena blinked a few times, nodding slowly.

"Yeah, I did... Why?"

He didn't reply for a while, just kept his eyes on the road. Without averting his eyes he parted his lips, "It's nothing."

She kept her eyes on him, skeptically and slowly looking away from him, "Okay."

More silence.

With an exhale of breath Reena looked to Jacob again, "Why? Do you know him?" She wasn't too confident on receiving an answer.

No answer.

"Do I turn here?" he asked, ignoring her question. Maybe he hadn't heard her. No, that wasn't it. She didn't speak too quietly.

"Yeah."

What did Jacob Black know about Edward Cullen that he wasn't telling her?

*

"I assume Jacob took you home," Jade laughed quietly that evening, holding the phone to her ear.

"Yep. When did Megan go home?"

"Ages ago."

"And are you feeling better?"

"A little. A good sleep will probably do me good..." Jade mumbled.

"That's good."

"Yeah..." a yawn.

"So how are we getting to school, tomorrow?" Reena asked on the other line.

"I'll either get Manuel to drive us again, or maybe my dad can. Or my mum..." she trailed off, her dark brown eyes glancing at the alarm clock perched on her nightstand. "I'm turning in, now. See you tomorrow morning."

"Kay. Bye."

Jade clicked the phone off, placing it back on the charger and switching the lights off. She crawled under the blankets and into the bed. She curled up, facing the window and watching as the rain pittered and pattered against it.

All she did was blink once. When her eyes opened within that matter of miliseconds she thought she saw Edward Cullen outside her window. Sitting up in bed with a sharp gasp she rubbed viciously at her eyes, before looking back out the window. No one and nothing was there. She breathed. Just breathed for a good minute or two before laying back down. She tried to get comfortable again, but just couldn't seem to. After a few minutes of just laying there, the rythym of the rain began to make her eyes drowsy. The last thing she saw before her tired eyes drifted entirely into sleep was the face of Edward Cullen, his eyes a wonderful golden honey color. Her vision blurred as her lids shut tight.

*

"The sun!" Megan exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air as Manuel drove the three of them to school. He rolled his eyes, "Like you've never seen sun before."

"Hey!" Megan objected. "It's not that sunny in Forks! Go outside for a change."

Reena laughed a little, "Instead of cooped up in his room?"

"Playing video games," Megan added, scrunching up her nose.

"Hey, video games are fun," Reena said with a humble tone.

Jade turned in her seat, "Hey, he does music, too. Right?" She turned to her elder brother. "On your guitar. Right?"

He nodded as he turned into the high school, "Yeah, tell Megan to turn that light on."

Megan glared at him as she opened the door, "I should've taken the bus."

"Hey, Jade made me drive you."

"Pignose," she muttered, as Jade and Reena also got out of the car.

"Thanks," Jade called as Manuel turned to drive away.

"Yeah, whatever."

She made a face, then turned to her friends, "_Well_, let's go.."

"WAIT!" Megan screeched, and Jade and Reena thought she may of forgotten something in the car.

"What?" Reena asked, her eyes a tad wide as Megan's face went a shade of deep crimson.

"That's him!" she jabbed her index finger at a boy hanging around the front doors. "That's Sam!"

"Sam?" Reena raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah, you weren't there..." Jade grinned. "He's Megan's potential boyfriend."

"_Crush_," Megan interveined. "Crush, crush, crush."

Reena giggled at her, as she continued to ramble on about him. Jade pushed their chatter and giggles to the back of her mind as she looked across the parking lot---trying to seek out Edward Cullen.

She had put his previous actions behind her. She was far too infatuated with him.

With a final round around the lot she sighed and heaved her bag onto her shoulder, starting towards the front doors.

*

"And so she joins us once more!" Preston exclaimed as Jade made her way over to the lunch table. There was nothing more than a small portion of fruit salad and a bottle of water on her tray as she set it down. Megan and Reena looked up at her, a slice of pizza in Megan's hand and a sandwich is Reena's.

"...I'm not hungry," she smiled weakly, taking a seat between Luke and Kelly. Luke swiped a grape from her salad cup, popping it in his mouth and threatening to pop it out at Sharon by his motions.

With a somewhat evil cackle Ben leaned across the table, poking the grape into his mouth. Luke's eyes widened in surprise as he swallowed the small fruit, "Hey!" There was laughter amongst them.

"So where were you yesterday?" Sharon asked, garlic fingers on her tray and a plain, white milk.

"Yeah, Reena and Megan didn't know, either," Luke said, sitting back down from his attempt to whack Ben upside the head.

"We had to deal with this all lunch period," Reena laughed, referring to Luke and Ben.

A meek smile appeared on Jade's lips, "I was...well, no where important really."

Everyone decided to leave it at that. But actually, Jade had been sitting in an empty classroom yesterday during lunch, just watching the rain drizzle down the windows...thinking of Edward Cullen.

She turned in her seat, her eyes instantly landing on the table that the Cullens sat at. It was empty. She turned back around, stabbing a piece of watermelon with her plastic fork.

"Looking for the Cullens?" Kelly asked her, finishing off her water bottle.

Yet another meek smile, "Um..."

"The Cullens are weird like that," Preston said, his eyes veering around Jade and Kelly's heads as he spotted the empty table. No one even bothered to sit there. It was as if it belonged to the Cullens.

"Whenever it's actually nice out Carlisle and Esme, their mum, pull them out of school," Sharon explained, ripping a garlic finger slice apart, losing interest in the food. "For like, hiking or something. I don't know."

"If you ask me it's kind of whack," Preston said, adding his two cents to the table.

"The Cullens are whack," Luke mumbled, another piece of fruit from Jade's salad in his mouth. She sighed, pushing the cup in front of him, "Here. Have it."

"Really?" Luke asked, taking another piece.

"...Yeah," she turned around one last time too look at the empty lunch table. "...Really."

*

The Cullens had been absent for the remainder of the school week, which on a level bothered Jade. But the good thing was that she would have her car for Monday.

"When's Jacob bringing your car?" Reena asked on a lazy Sunday afternoon, glancing out the window. That whole week she had been thinking of Jacob. Him and what he knew about the Cullens. If only he would tell her; they were as mysterious to her as Jade or any other person.

"He should be dropping it off anytime," Jade replied, joining her friend by the window and looking out the rain stained window pane.

"I think I see him!" Megan piped up, squeezing between her two friends. A smile lit up her face, "Yep! There he is!"

The three girls watched as the green Mustang pulled into the driveway. Jade grabbed a sweater off the back of a chair, pulling it on and heading to the door. Megan pulled the hood of her sweater over her head, and Reena grabbed her jacket on the way out.

Jacob was just getting out of the car when the three approached him.

There was joy evident on Jade's face, her eyes bright and shining as she took in the familiar presence of her car.

"Good as new," Jacob confirmed, shutting the door behind him and sticking his big hands in the pocket of his thin jacket.

"Ah, Jake thank you so much!" Jade cried, skipping over to her car and running a hand over the hood. "What was wrong with it?"

"Just the starter motor. It should be fine, now."

"Great, thanks!" from behind Jacob's back she winked to her two friends, who grinned back at her.

"Hey, I don't like the look of those grins," Jacob said somewhat nervously, before being squished from three different directions.

Reena felt comfortable, yet uncomfortable at the same time as she wrapped her arms around Jacob. Alright, did Jade know she liked him? She could see her grinning mischeviously at her.

Megan and Jade were first to step back, Reena slowly letting go and putting on a meek smile.

At that time Jade's father came out the front door, keys in hand, "Jacob!"

"Aw, hey Manny," Jacob grinned at the older man as he approached him.

"I was just on my way to see your father. Do you need a drive home?" he asked.

Jacob scratched the back of his head, "If it's not much trouble."

"Nope, get in," he motioned towards the Jeep sitting in the driveway.

"Yes sir."

"Bye Jacob!" Jade and Megan chirped, as he raised a hand to wave goodbye. He turned his attention to Reena, offering another wave and smile and getting inside the Jeep.

Reena felt the heat in her face raise.

*

"Drives better than ever," Jade declared, pulling into the highschool, once again driving her Mustang.

There was frost on the ground, and a little freezing rain falling from the sky above.

Jade made a face; she really hated this weather. She dreaded the day actual snow would come. Frost and ice was bad enough.

Reena and Megan didn't seem to mind as much as they got out of the car as usual, acting like it was one of those rare sunny days.

Jade released a puff of breath as she took her bag and opened the door to get out. Unfortunately, as soon as her feet hit the ground she slipped, falling back and hitting her head on the driver's seat in the process.

She moaned in pain, helping herself up and gripping her bag tightly. Reena and Megan couldn't help but giggle as they each grabbed one of her arms, guiding her towards the school. With a kick of her foot, Megan closed the car door behind her.

"I hate the cold," Jade grumbled, avoiding a patch of black ice and letting drops of cold rain plop onto her hair.

"Let's get you inside," Megan laughed, pushing her slightly out of the way of another patch of ice.

*

"Good morning."

Did she just hear that correctly?

Jade quickly caught herself from saying something, or even falling over. She just kept her eyes on Edward Cullen as she slowly set her books onto the desk.

There was the faintest smile on his perfect rosy lips as he watched her sit down. She glanced to him, taking note of his eyes.

A warm golden color.

"Hello," was all she could summon up.

"How are you?"

Shaking frost out of her hair she tried to think. Edward was....talking to her. How come that didn't make one ounce of sense in her mind?

"I'm...I've been better, I guess."

When he didn't answer right away she looked to him. He seemed deep in thought, before blinking his now golden eyes, "You don't like the cold. Do you."

It was more like a statement then a question. She nodded slowly, "That's right."

"What is it that you dislike about it?" he asked, blinking again.

She just looked at him, before averting her eyes in thought. She looked back to him, "Well, I mean...for one it's cold. I don't like to be too hot, but I like to be warm. And snow and rain is wet. And not that it's pretty, but it's all slushy and gross. And, well, wet.. And well, I'm not much of an ice person. I mean, I slipped getting out of my car..." She made a face as she rubbed her head.

Edward just looked at her. She played with the hem of her long sleeves, wondering why she wasn't getting a reply. "Um, sorry..." was the first thing to roll off her tongue.

"No..." he sat up straight, looking out the window. "Though, I don't mind the cold myself."

"Well it doesn't help that it's so dark and dreary out when it rains. Snow is a bit brighter... But the cold is just dark," she paused. "It's sort of depressing."

He didn't answer, just continued to look out the window.

"But...that's just me," she added.

He turned back around to look at her, "Do you wish that Forks was...fairer?"

"Sunnier?" she repeated. She shrugged, "Well, yeah sure. But I grew up in Forks, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else."

"I see..."

"Hey," she paused again. "Um, did you get...contacts?"

He looked somewhat caught off guard as he blinked those golden eyes, "...N-no."

"But your eyes..." she furrowed her eyebrows. "The last time I saw you they were this...this dark color. Black. Like burning embers... I..." She stopped once she realized he was no longer listening. His eyes were now gazing back out the frosted window, rain drops trying to dissolve the cold.


End file.
